Merchandise container



Fe. 25, 1936. E. w. KING MERCHANDISE CONTAINER Filed Feb. 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l BYJAMW ATTORNEYS Feb. 25, 1936. E. w. KING MERCHANDISE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1955 INVENTORv W 41 $(7%ww&7

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNETE STATES PATENT QFFICE MERCHANDISE CONTAINER Application February 11, 1935, Serial No. 5,996

14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in boxes or other containers for highly comminuted material such as toilet powder.

It is an object of the invention to provide a container the various parts of which may be manufactured and shipped to the customer and may then be filled with powdered material by the customer and assembled without the necessity of cementing the parts together or of closing the element in which the powder is placed by a. sheet of material involving the use of adhesive as a sealing element before assembling it with other parts of the container.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred and certain modified forms of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a powder box embodying the invention, the component parts of which are illustrated by Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the powder container or pouch intended to be used as an element of the box illustrated by Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a closure for the pouch illustrated by Fig. 2, the closure being of a form adapted to serve as the base of the assembled container.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a cover for the windowed portion of the pouch illustrated by Fig. 2.

Fig, 5 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the pouch illustrated by Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the pouch closure and base element illustrated by Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the cover illustrated by Fig. 4.

The parts of the box illustrated by Fig. 1 as shown in Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive, are represented as having been inverted since it is in this position that they must be filled with powder and assembled.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a powder box having the invention applied, the pouch for the powder being one of closed type as distinguished from the open-type pouch illustrated by Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the box illustrated by Fig. 8.

Fig, 10 is a perspective view of a box embodying the invention comprising a powder pouch and its closure and an outer casing within which the pouch and its closure may be telescoped.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional View through a portion of the box illustrated by Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the pouch and pouch closure which are used as parts of the box illustrated by Figs. 10 and 11, the pouch and closure being represented as they would appear before being assembled.

The invention as represented by Figs. 1 to '7, inclusive, may comprise a box having a powder 5 container 20 (Fig. 2), commonly known as a pouch, a base element 2| (Fig. 3) adapted to serve as a closure for the pouch and as a base for the assembled container, and a cover 22 (Fig.

4) adapted to serve as the top of the assembled 10 box represented in Fig. 1.

The various parts of the container may be of any desired form and may be manufactured in any appropriate manner. As herein disclosed, the pouch 20 may comprise a body portion 23 of cardboard or other suitable material, to which may be applied binding and trimming material 24, as best indicated in Fig. 5.

In one of the walls of the pouch, preferably the wall intended to be at the top of the assembled container, may be provided a window 25, which may be covered and closed by a thin sheet of material 26, which, if desired, may be trans parent and the margins of which may extend under the surface layer of trimming material 24. 25 The window covering 26 may be of a character such that it may be readily ruptured or removed to afford access to the interior of the container, as usual in powder boxes of the prior art.

The box base 2! may comprise a foundation of 30 cardboard or other appropriate body material 2'! and layers of binding and finishing material 28, 29, as indicated in Fig. 6, and the box top 22 may likewise comprise a foundation of cardboard or other suitable body material 30 and coverings of binding and trimming material 3|, 32.

Powder boxes constructed like the one thus far described are well known in the art and constitute no part of the invention to be herein described and claimed. In using such powder boxes it is necessary that the customer, after filling the pouch represented in Fig. 2, either close the same by applying thereto a covering of thin paper secured by adhesive material to the sides before applying to the pouch the capped closure 2| which serves as the base of the container, or apply adhesive material either to the outer wall of the pouch intended to be telescoped by the cap 2| or to the inner surface portions of the telescoping portion of the cap before applying the cap to the pouch; otherwise, the extremely fine powder to be held by the container will make its Way through the joint between the pouch and the cap and escape. It is to avoid the inconvenience to wlr'ch the customer is thus subjected in having to make use of adhesives in filling and assembling powder boxes that the invention herein to be disclosed is directed.

Considered in its generic sense the invention consists in making the parts of the container which form the telescoped joint between the pouch and its closure of relative forms and dimensions such that the opposed surfaces will lie in snug, face-to-face, frictional contact with each other, and in making the surface portion of at least one of said parts of a velvety character similar to that of the surface portion of material known as velure. The desired surface portion might be variously described as a surface provided with relatively minute fibrous elements in the nature of a nap or pile such as to be yieldable or capable of being crushed and matted, so as to very effectively close the space between the velvety surface and the opposed surface and thereby trap any powder which might tend to make its way through the joint, and prevent its escape. The surface might, perhaps, be properly defined as a fuzzy surface, or even as a felted surface, but may, perhaps, be best defined as one having the physical properties of material known as velvet or velure. A velvety surface such as would satisfactorily serve the intended purpose in applying the invention of this case to powder containers may be produced by securing to the desired parts of the container a thin layer of paper commonly known as velure paper. Such paper might be applied to either of the opposed surfaces of the parts of the device which form the telescoping joints, or partly to one surface and partly to the other, or to both. What is of importance is that throughout the entire joint at least one surface shall be of the above-described velvety character.

In applying the invention to the powder box illustrated by Figs. 1 to '7, inclusive, a strip 33 of velure paper is applied to the outer wall of the pouch 20 as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, so that, when the cap 2! is applied to the pouch, the velvety surface of the velure paper will be opposed to the inner surface of the telescoping part of the cap and be held in a face-to-face frictional contact. It has been found as a result ofactual experiment that when the parts of the container are so constructed, the pouch may be filled with powder, the cap 2! applied to the pouch, the parts inverted, and the cover 22 applied to the exposed portion of the pouch to form the assembled product illustrated by Fig. 1, without the use of adhesives of any character; and that the container when thus assembled may be shipped and distributed in commerce without any escape of the contained powder.

As a further feature of the invention the: telescoped joint between the cover 22 and the pouch 23 may also be rendered powder-tight by making at least one of the opposed surfaces throughout the telescoped joint of a velvety character. If desired, both surfaces might be of a velvety character. As illustrated by Fig. 2, the velure paper 33 .on the pouch is extended over the portion which projects above the base 21 so as to cover the part which is telescoped by the cover 22, and the inner surface of the part of the cover 22 which telescopes the pouch is also represented as being covered with velure paper 34, as illustrated by Figs. 4 and '7.

The use of material having a velvety surface in at least one of the parts of the container which form the telescoped joint between the pouch and the box top is of importance not only in that it provides an additional seal for the original package, but it also provides a seal which may be effective after the package has been sold and put in use by rupturing or removing the thin material 25 which in the original package closes the window 25.

In Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings the invention is illustrated as applied to a modified form of powder box having a pouch of the type known as a closed pouch as compared with the open-type pouch illustrated by Fig. 2. The closed pouch, instead of having one entire face open, is in the form of a box having a relatively small opening or window in its bottom through which it may be filled when the pouch is in an inverted position. The window may then be closed by sealing it with a sheet of paper secured to the pouch by means of adhesive. Such a pouch to which the invention herein disclosed is to be applied may be constructed in any appropriate manner. As best illustrated by Fig. 9, the pouch may comprise a body portion 35 which may be covered with suitable binding material 36 and may have in its bottom a filling window 3?. The parts 35 to 31 may be assembled with a body portion 38 havinga dispensing window 39 therein covered by thin, and

preferably transparent, material 4!], the parts 38 and 40 being covered with binding and trimming material 4 I If desired, the unit comprising the parts 38 to 4| may be enclosed within a third unit compris ing a body portion 42 covered. with suitable binding and trimming material 43, and the various parts of the pouch thus described may be telescoped one within another and secured by adhesive to form a single unitary structure. ordinarily used, such a closed pouch would be inverted and filled through the window 31, after which a closure would have to be sealed over the window by the use of adhesive. The pouch might then be inserted in a box or casing comprising a bottom which might consist of a body portion 44 with suitable binding and trimming material 45 and a. box top comprising body portions 46, 41 and binding and trimming material 48, 49, 50.

To apply the invention to a box of the character of the one illustrated by Figs. 8 and 9, all that is required is to make the parts of such forms and dimensions that the opposed surface portions at the telescoped joints between the pouch and the box bottom, and also, if desired, between the pouch and the box top, shall lie in snug, face-toface frictional contact with each other, and to use material such that at least one of the opposed surfaces throughout the parts to be sealed shall be of a velvety character. This might be satisfactorily effected by adding additional strips of velure paper, but in the form herein illustrated it might well be. accomplished by making use of velure paper to serve as the binding and finishing strip 43 which covers the body element 42 and extends inwardly over the body'element 35 of the pouch. This strip 43, if made of velure paper, would not only serve as a means of sealing the joint between the pouch and the box bottom 44, 45, but would also extend above the box bottom so as to seal the joint between the pouch and the box top 46 to 50. With the invention applied the box might be manufactured and shipped to the customer in the form of three separate elements, that is, the finished and assembled pouch, the finished and assembled box bottom, and the finished and assembled top. The customer would merely invert the pouch, fill it through the filling window 31, invert the box bottom and telescope it over the bottom portion of the pouch, then right the assembled pouch and box bottom, and apply the cover. The velure paper with its surface of a velvety character used as a part of the joint between the assembled pouch and box bottom would satisfactorily seal the joint and dispense with the use of any adhesive in connection with the filling and assembling of the box.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12 the invention is illustrated as applied to a modified form of powder box comprising an open pouch 5| and a cap-like closure 52 telescoped one within the other, and the pouch and closure telescoped within the base element 53 of a box having hinged covers 54, 55.

The various parts of the box might be constructed in any appropriate manner. The open pouch 5|, for example, might comprise a body portion 56 and suitable binding material 51. The pouch cap or closure 52 might comprise body material 58 having a dispensing window 59 therein covered by transparent material 60, the edges of which might extend under a strip of binding and finishing material 6|.

To provide a satisfactory seal not only between the'pouch 5| and its closure 52, but also between the closure 52 and the base element 53 of the box, the closure 52 is illustrated as being covered with a layer 62 of velure paper which may be folded over the lower edge of the closure and extend upwardly along its inner surface as at 63. It will be apparent that the position of the part 63 of the velure paper is such as to seal the joint between the closure 52 and the pouch 5| when these parts are assembled, and that the velure paper 62 over the outer surface of the pouch closure is so positioned as to seal the joint between the closure and the lining 53' of the box 53.

The parts may be manufactured and delivered to the customer, who may without the use of adhesive fill the pouch 5|, telescope the caplike closure 52 over the pouch, and thrust the assembled pouch and cap into the base element 53 of the box. It will be apparent that when thus filled and assembled there is a double seal to prevent the escape of powder from the pouch 5|, one at the joint between the pouch and the portion 63 of the velure paper along the inner surface. of the closure, and another between the velure paper 62 at the outer surface of the closure and the inner surface of the box lining 53'. Were it not for the use of material having a velvety surface in the telescoped joints, it'would be necessary for the customer in filling and assembling this product to either paste a covering of thin paper over the pouch 5! after filling it with powder, or to apply adhesives to either the outer wall of the pouch or the inner wall of the pouch cover before applying the cover to the pouch.

It will be obvious that the various forms of powder boxes to which the invention is illustrated as being adapted for application are conventional only. Such boxes may be manufactured and assembled in various ways. The invention consists primarily in the use, at each joint through which powder might escape from the container, of material having a velvety surface or a surface having the yielding and matting and filling and other physical properties of the surface portion of material known as velure, one satisfactory form of which is the commercial article known as velure paper; and, although material having a surface of a velvety character, as well as velure paper, has been referred to in the claims of this case, it is to be understood that the invention is to apply to any material having a surface of similar character, which, when snugly pressed against another surface whether of smooth material or of material having a like velvety character, will satisfactorily prevent the passage of highly comminuted material, such as toilet powder, without securing the surfaces together by the use of adhesive material.

The invention is not intended to be limited to any of the various forms of powder container herein selected for purposes of illustration, but should be regarded as including modifications and variations thereof within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A powder-tight, frictional joint for a container for finely comminuted material comprising two container parts having opposed surfaces in snug face-to-face contact, the opposed surface portion of one of said parts at the joint being of a velvety character having substantially the physical properties of the surface portion of the material known as velure.

2. A powder-tight, frictional joint for a container, as defined by claim 1, of which the container part which is to be provided with a surface portion of a velvety character comprises a body portion and a thin layer of velure paper secured to the surface of the body portion.

3. A powder-tight, frictional joint for a con tainer, as defined by claim 1, of which each of the opposed surface portions of the container parts is of a velvety character.

4. A closed container for powdered material comprising telescoped container parts one of which may serve as a cap-like closure for the other, the telescoped container walls including opposed surface portions in snug, face-to-face, frictional contact extending entirely around the telescoped joint and of which at least one of the contacting surface portions at every part of the joint is of a velvety character having substantially the physical properties of the surface portion of material known as velure.

5. A closed container, as defined by claim 4, of which each of the surfaces of the two container parts at the telescoped joint is of a velvety character.

6. A closed container, as defined by claim 4, of which the telescoped portion of the part having a velvety surface comprises a foundation of body material and a thin layer of velure paper secured to the surface of the body material.

'7. A closed container, as defined by claim 4, of which the telescoped part is adapted to serve as the pouch of a powder box and the cap-like telescoping part as its base, the part having the velvety surface being the telescoped portion.

8. A closed container, as defined by claim 4, of which the telescoped part is adapted to serve as a pouch and is of dimensions such as to extend above the telescoping cap-like portion which is adapted to serve as a base, a third member being provided of a form and dimensions such as to telescope the exposed portion of the pouch and serve as a cover with the opposed telescoped surfaces in snug, face-to-face contact to form a frictional joint, similar to the joint between the pouch and its closure, of which at least one of the contacting surface portions is of a velvety character.

9. A closed container, as defined by claim 4, having an enclosing casing within which the two container parts may be telescoped, the walls of the telescoped joint between the casing and the cap of the enclosed parts having their opposed surfaces in snug, face-to-face contact and the contacting surface portions of at least one of said parts being of a velvety character to provide a joint similar to the joint between the enclosed telescoped parts.

10. A plurality of open box-like elements adapted to be assembled to form a closed container for powdered material, said elements ineluding two having complemental portions which velvety may be telescoped one within the other and one of which may serve as a cap-like closure for the other, the portions of the container parts intended to be telescoped being of relative forms and sizes such that their opposed surfaces will lie in snug, face-to-face, frictional contact when assembled, the surface portions to be opposed to include material of a velvety character having substantially the physical properties of the surface portion of velure and the distribution of the surface material being such that, throughout a zone extending continuously around the joint between the telescoped parts when assembled, at least one of the two opposed surfaces shall be of the velvety character.

v 11. A plurality of open box-like elements, as defined by claim 10, of which the box-like element which is to have a surface portion of a velvety character comprises a body portion and a thin layer of velure paper secured to the surface of so much of the body portion as is intended to serve as a part of the joint between the telescoped parts.

12. A plurality of open box-like elements, as defined by claim 10, of which each of the parts intended to be opposed to each other at the telescoped joint has a surface portion of a velvety character.

13. A plurality of open box-like elements adapted to be assembled to form a closed container for powdered material, said elements com prising a pouch having an opening through which it may be filled and a closure, in one of which elements isa wall portion which may be readily ruptured or removed to afford access to the interior, the two elements being adapted to be telescoped one within the other, the parts .intended to be telescoped being of relative forms and sizes such that their opposed surfaces will be in snug, face-to-face, frictional contact when assembled, the surface portions to be opposed to include material of a velvety character having substantially the physical properties of the sur-, face portion of velure and the distribution of the velvety surface material being such that, throughout a zone extending continuously around the joint between telescoped parts when assembled, at least one of the two opposed surfaces shall be of a velvety character.

14. A plurality of open-box like elements, as defined by claim 13, of which the closure is adapted to cap a portion only of the pouch and serve as a base for the container, and of which the assembly of elements includes a third part adapted to telescope the exposed portion of the pouch when assembled with the base and serve as a cover, the telescoped portions of the pouch and cover being such as to provide a frictional EVERETT W. KING. 

